Tag: Cody Greenhill

Collegiate Baseball honors Ike Irish among Freshman All-Americans

The freshman slugger led Auburn baseball in several categories this season.

Collegiate Baseball announced on Wednesday that [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag] would be named a Freshman All-American.

Irish is the 20th player in program history to earn Freshman All-American honors and the first to do so since 2018 when four Tigers were selected. Those players included [autotag]Tanner Burns[/autotag], [autotag]Cody Greenhill[/autotag], [autotag]Edouard Julien[/autotag] and [autotag]Steven Williams[/autotag].

Irish had a monster campaign during his Freshman season.

The Hudsonville, Michigan native led the team in batting average (.361), hits (86), and doubles (24). Placed second in RBI (50) and total bases (130), as well as scoring the third-most runs on the team with 48.

The 24 doubles hit by Irish set a freshman record for the program and are the most in a single season by an Auburn player since 2005. He also had a top-10 batting average in the SEC.

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Auburn looks to get back on track vs. Mississippi State

Auburn baseball looks to get back on track as the Tigers host Mississippi State this weekend at Plainsman Park.

Auburn had a chance to sweep No. 2 Arkansas last weekend but instead finished 1-2 and will have another tough test in No. 5 Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs will come into Auburn winners of their last four games and the series is already Auburn’s third against a top-five opponent.

While the Tigers are 1-8 in SEC play, they still have 21 games left to play and will have a chance to climb in the standings.

“There’s still so much baseball to be played,” said Auburn head coach Butch Thompson. “We shouldn’t be sitting right here right now with the quality of ball that we’ve played. It’s not going to get any easier and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. This is a life lesson if you can persevere.”

One of the bright spots in the series against Arkansas was the defense, which Thompson called some of the best he’s seen. The defense turned seven double plays and Kason Howell made several great catches in center field.

Pitching was a tale of two stories as the starters combined to go 1-0 with a 1.55 ERA, 10 strikeouts and six walks in 17.1 innings. On the other hand, seven relievers combined to go 0-2 with a 10.00 ERA, four strikeouts and 13 walks in 9.0 innings.

Some much-needed reinforcements may be coming for the bullpen as Carson Skipper has returned from injury and Hayden Mullins could also return as well. Mason Barnett has also returned into his role as the team’s starter after injuries forced him to be a starter at the start of the season.

The Tigers offense will face a tough test in a Mississippi State pitching staff that ranks second in the SEC in ERA (2.76) and batting average (.189) and leads the league in strikeouts with 372. Offensively, the Bulldogs are much closer to the middle of the pack, ranking eighth in batting average, 12th in slugging and ninth in runs scored.

Auburn’s bats have been much more impressive, ranking top five in batting average (.298), slugging (.484), OBP, (.386).

Pitcher of the Week: Cody Greenhill

Greenhill set the tone for the starting pitchers on Thursday when he led the Tigers to their first SEC win. The senior held Arkansas to one run on three hits over 7.0 innings of work. He also struck out five Razorbacks and did not walk anyone. 

Hitter of the Week: Brody Moore

Moore was excellent at the plate, hitting .462 with six runs scored, one double, one home run and one RBI and was just as good in the field. The junior had five assists and 15 putouts and was a key part of most of the double plays the Tigers turned.

Auburn and Mississippi State will open the series Friday at 6 p.m. CT on SECN+/ESPN+. Games two and three will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Auburn returns to Plainsman Park for final non-conference series

Auburn will close its weekend non-conference schedule with a three-game series against Arkansas Little Rock at Plainsman Park.  

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Auburn will close its weekend non-conference schedule with a three-game series against Arkansas-Little Rock at Plainsman Park.  

Auburn is coming off of a 6-5 win over UAB on Wednesday and will be looking to keep the offence rolling in their first ever matchup with the Trojans, who have won four of their last five games to improve to 5-5 on the season.

The Tigers lead the nation in runs scored (121), is one of just three teams to have seven players with multiple home runs and ranks in the top 10 nationally in eight other offensive categories.

Leading the charge for Auburn has been junior Tyler Miller. The first baseman has been a revelation for the Tigers leading them in hits (18), home runs (3), RBI (18), and ranking top 5 in batting average, OPS, runs and slugging.

Miller admitted he got off to a slow start in 2020 but was unable to break out of the slump due to the season being cancelled. He said he settled in against Alabama A&M.

“Ever since then I’ve just been seeing it well, swinging at the right balls – swinging at strikes mainly, not balls – and when I swing at it, I’m not missing it,” Miller said. “Seeing ‘em fall is a lot better than not seeing ‘em fall.”

The offences hot start has been important as the Tigers will turn to their fourth different weekend rotation through four weeks.

The Tigers will get back one of their original weekend starters back in senior right-hander Cody Greenhill (1-0, 2.89), who is expected to be back in his role as the Friday night starter for the Tigers after missing last week with a foot injury.

However, they will be without Richard Fitts and Jack Owen. Fitts is battling the same injury as Greenhill and could return for the series with Ole Miss to open SEC play next weekend. Owen could also return for that series as well.

Auburn will instead turn to two righthanders in Mason Barnett (1-0, 0.84) and Trace Bright (2-0, 1.12).   

Barnett will be making his third start and besides from walking eight batters has done a great job shutting down opposing offences. Allowing just two runs in 10.2 innings and has shown why he was the likely closer before injuries forced him to slide into a starting role.

Bright has also shined as a sophomore, allowing just three runs in 16 innings of work and striking out 13 batters to just three walks. He also had perhaps the best start of an Auburn pitcher against Texas A&M, throwing six shutout innings in their 6-1 victory.

The group will go up against a red-hot Little Rock offense that scored 19 runs in their last two games and is hitting .278 as a team. The offence is led by John Michael Russ who is hitting .500 on the year.

Little Rock is expected to send a trio of veterans to the mound in seniors Aaron Funk (0-1, 5.68) and Hayden Arnold (1-1, 8.49) and redshirt junior Jack DeCooman (0-1, 4.15).

Auburn games on Friday and Sunday’s will be on SECN+/ESPN+ and Saturday’s game will air on SEC Network while. Games will be 4 p.m. CT Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.